Thursday, December 19, 2013

You’ve heard it a million times… the job market is competitive, and the economy still uncertain. In that environment it’s tough to maintain your poise and hope as a job seeker, right?With that said, you can take targeted, positive and actionable steps to create positive results for yourself. Below, we’ve listed six unhealthy job search habits that will make your job search more difficult. So, avoid these…

Monday, December 16, 2013

Wouldn't it be great if everything just stayed the same for awhile? It is tiring to have to learn how to use a new smartphone or figure out the latest gadget. In a world that changes quickly, you have to learn to keep morphing, adjusting and adapting to stay currentand marketable. The job search is all about adapting and adjusting to yield positive results.1) Your career is in beta mode.2) Master more than you think you need.3) The résumé isn't dead…yet.4) More mixed signals on résumés.5) Try, try and try again.6) Change your outlook.Read the full US News article

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

For job seekers, it may feel like you can use December to take a break in your job search, but you absolutely should not. It’s almost the end of 2013, so it’s time to make these last few weeks count. One month is plenty of time to set some short term goals and see them through. You may even get to bring in the New Year with a new job.Here are eight things you can accomplish in your job search before the end of the year:1. Subscribe to 1-3 industry publications. Look for blogs, magazines, and other publications specific to your industry. For example, PR News and Mashable are popular in the public relations industry. Subscribe to daily or weekly email updates (or something along those lines) from a few of the publications in your industry to keep up with the latest news and trends.2. Learn one new hard skill. With new technology every day, you will never be finished learning new hard skills. Dedicate the last month of this year to learning one new skill. If you’re still a student, your university can probably provide you with the materials you need. If not, there are lots of tutorials online for learning new skills and software. Look for something that will benefit your job search and get started.3. Polish your resume. As the year winds down, take some time to reflect on the things you’ve accomplished this year. New jobs and internships, surpassing goals for projects you worked on, and leading teams are all great experiences to add to your resume. You never know when you’ll meet someone who wants to help you land a job. It’s important to make sure your resume is always up to date.4. Attend one mock interview. If you have the means, it’s a good idea to set up a pretend job interview. These won’t have specific industry-related questions, but they’re great for practicing your answers to the most common job interview questions. Your interviewer will be able to point out your strengths and weaknesses, so you can improve before the real thing.Goals 5-8 and the complete Glassdoor article

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

If you’ve been on the job hunt for any length of time, you know how frustrating it can be if you seem to “hit a wall” with a particular hiring manager. You may even feel like all the jobs you’ve applied to have begun to blur together and you can’t tell one hiring manager from the next.

So imagine what it must be like for the hiring managers themselves. Especially in this economy, when there may sometimes be hundreds of applicants for a single open position, it may be difficult to tell applicants apart. But one thing is certain. There are some mistakes that get the attention of hiring managers, mistakes you can’t afford to make if you hope to find a good job.

Thesaurus Overload

You can create a resume that sounds intelligent without using words bigger than you. Use the thesaurus for keyword inspiration and variations, but leave out the words that sound like you’re trying too hard.

Being Too Negative

Do ask about why the person who used to fill the position left the job, but don’t ask about the most common complaint about the job. That’s completely subjective anyway and makes a negative impression.

When You’re a Pushy Patty

Persistence is only a virtue if it’s not irritating, so hold back on the aggressive follow-ups. Getting in touch with the hiring manager excessively makes you seem desperate.

Not Managing Your Online Profile

How many times do they have to say it? Hiring managers will look up all of your online profiles, and yes, they will look through your pictures. Don’t be a disappointment and waste their time; clean up your online presence.Mistakes 5-10 and the complete article

Monday, December 9, 2013

Planning to hold off on job searching until January? Think employers don’t hire during the holiday months? You’re mistaken if you believe companies quit looking for talent this time of year.

While plenty of people start to back off on job searching in November and December, you can benefit from continuing to put time and effort into your hunt for a great opportunity. Consider these five significant reasons you’ll miss out (big time) if you freeze your job search during the holidays:

1. Employers Are (Still!) Hiring

Just like any other part of the business, hiring still goes on late in the year. Operations, mergers, production, orders, service, buyouts, and projects are always running in most companies.

In fact, some industries may even have more significant needs during the holiday season, as major transactions and deals are often negotiated during what others might consider downtime.

Back in my IT management and recruiting days, we focused more on January projects and planning for resource needs than holiday vacations.

If your expertise includes acquisitions, sales, manufacturing oversight, or technology automation, you could be in particularly high demand as a skilled leader or executive (even more so at this time of year).

2. Budget Requirements Must Be Met

Both end-of-year budgets and new-year headcount forecasting can drive hiring during the holiday season.

For example, a company may have just received approval to hire a new Director of IT in January. When will they most likely start the hiring cycle? December.

The typical hiring cycle for an executive can take weeks, if not months. Employers anticipating the need for new sales leaders, for example, may need to initiate their hiring process by the end of the year to get a new hire onboarded by February.

Therefore, sending your newly polished leadership resume out to companies of interest to you can pay off quickly, especially if they’re in a hiring cycle and you’re the most qualified –and interested – applicant.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Jay WebbOne of the biggest grievances I hear from job seekers after they weren’t called back for a second interview, is the lack of constructive criticism or candid interview feedback. They feel as though the interview went well, often very well, yet they never hear from the person they spoke to or met with again.

Here are 9 reasons why you may not have been called back for the second interview:

You did not answer the questions that were being asked. I think that some job seekers are participating in an entirely different interview than the one that’s actually taking place.

You didn’t look the part or dress for the culture. Research the culture of the company. Are they more conservative and traditional, or progressive and laid back?

Your hands were clammy and you gave an overall vibe of nervousness. No matter how badly you want the position, you must and SHOULD remain cool—–assuming it’s not your first sales position.

Poor hygiene. Pay attention to the details. Are your fingernails groomed properly? Do you have too much neck hair? What about your breath?

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Even if you’re not job searching today, it makes sense to be prepared to job hunt. You may decide it’s time to say goodbye to your current job. Your employer may decide you’re no longer needed. You never know for certain what might transpire at work.

On average, people change jobs 11 times during their career, so it’s going to happen at some point. It’s better to be prepared than to have to job hunt in panic mode. Here are 10 things you can do to help ensure you’re ready to get hired.Have a professional development plan in place. Identify skills, areas of knowledge or proficiency with technology which will give you an edge in the job market. Make sure you can always tell a prospective employer about assets which you are currently developing.Maintain an up-to-date LinkedIn profile which incorporates your latest accomplishments.Make sure your resume is current so there will be no delay if you move into job search mode. Redo your resume if the focus is on responsibilities rather than accomplishments and value added. Employers are now focusing on candidates who can generate the best results. Review resume samples and advice on updating your resume.

Monday, December 2, 2013

“So then….Tell us About Yourself…..” Despite being one of the most frequently asked questions at interview and many interviews actually opening with this very question, many candidates do not pay as much attention to how they answer this question as perhaps they should. Don’t be fooled into thinking that this is simply a nice little opener for the interviewer or that it is asked before the “real” questions begin. How you answer this question can determine from the off what impression the interviewer has of you. To help you out, we have put together some basic top tips on how to answer “Tell us about yourself”…Be PreparedJust as you spend time researching the company and preparing answers for the “difficult “ questions, you should prepare your answer for this too. Don’t simply leave it until you are asked and then randomly waffle. Spend some time before your interview and prepare a biographical type statement all about yourself – your experience and your professional strengths and qualifications. Write it down, go over it and rewrite it until you are sure that it is truly giving an accurate and positive impression of what you are all about.Be Brief

An all too common mistake when answering this question is to talk too much, to waffle or to ramble on without actually saying anything of real value. This is where your preparation will help. You should ensure that you can answer this question in just a couple of lines. Be specific and simply summarise what you have done to date that relates directly to the job in question and finish by mentioning exactly why you have applied for this position. Don’t be tempted to go on and on talking about yourself. The longer you do this, the more the interviewer will lose interest.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

It’s a story every job seeker has to tell. You find the perfect job opening. You apply. And then you wait. And wait. And wait.

Just because an organization wants to hire doesn’t mean it’s in any rush to fill its open slots. But a new study by three economists underscores that the flip side is also true: firms frequently hire even without having a formal opening.To better understand how vacancies relate to actual hiring, Steven Davis of the University of Chicago, Jason Faberman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, and John Haltiwanger of the University of Maryland dug into the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. This survey samples some 16,000 establishments each month, asking firms how many people they are looking to hire, what sort of advertising they’re doing to find workers, and more.Looking at data from 2000 through 2006, the researchers found that 42% of hires were happening at establishments that had said, just the month before, they had no vacancies. The take-away for job-seekers: companies often move fast to fill positions as they open. If there’s a place you want to work, find a way to introduce yourself before a job opening is even posted. Because once companies decide to hire, you might not have much time to sell yourself.And a short window of opportunity is actually the best case scenario. The survey asks companies about vacancies at the end of the month, and then tracks how many hires happen in the next 30 days. This means that the raw numbers don’t differentiate between a company quickly filling an opening, and a company hiring a person without ever officially logging a vacancy. Using some fancy economic modeling, the researchers found evidence that for a full 27% of hires, establishments never recorded a vacancy. What’s going on there? It’s possible to come up with different stories, but one is that establishments hire when they see someone they want—even more reason to try to get your foot in the door before the door is open.Read the rest of the Glassdoor article

The approaches we're recommending in these articles are specifically aimed at growing your social media connections for job search purposes, though actually they are relevant for anyone wanting to engage more effectively via social media.One major challenge we hear candidates talk about is how to use their twitter account to engage effectively with recruiters and employers. Tips for doing this are covered in the job search articles I referenced above. Here and now we're going to focus purely on how to quickly grow the recruiter accounts you are following - whilst ensuring those you are following are relevant and engaged (and so can contribute to your job search endeavours).What we have found to be an extremely effective approach is to identify Twitter lists that contain the types of recruiters / employers you would like to follow; and then, once followed, to use a twitter tool to cleanse your twitter account of anyone not engaging in a way that's going to be beneficial for your job search.

Following Twitter Accounts - Getting Started

To get you started, we would recommend using Listorious to research Twitter accounts to follow. You will see you can search for either individual Twitter accounts or for Twitter lists - so experiment with searches in your sector that include things like "recruiters", "hiring", "jobs" or "recruitment". You should quickly be able to find some relevant people to follow.The next step is crucial though. For every person you see who looks like a relevant recruiter contact to follow, visit their twitter account profile page. Take a look at their lists, to see if they themselves manage lists of twitter accounts relevant to recruiting in that sector. You will find that many do. Alongside that, check to see the lists that that Twitter account is a member of. This is so powerful! Here you are using the power of crowdsourcing and the collective wisdom of the Twitter population to help you identify people who are worth following.To get an idea of how this works, take a look at the link for Social-Hire's Founder Tony Restell. You will see that other Twitter users have determined that Tony is an authority on subjects like social media, job search and recruitment - and so have included him on their lists. Now imagine you've found the first recruiters whose twitter accounts you've decided to follow in your niche sector. Imagine your delight when you see that those recruiters feature on lists of other twitter accounts in the same field. Twitter lists can hold up to 500 twitter accounts. So this approach can very quickly see you following loads of twitter accounts highly relevant to your job search.

--- Search For Recruiters Now ---

Search by specialism (eg. strategy recruiter, sales recruiter) and / or by geography and / or by name of employer.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

A friend of mine once said, “Everyone should know a good lawyer, accountant and resume writer.” And, amidst my group, I have been anointed the go-to person for all things resumes … which I love. When a dear friend’s husband was recently laid off, she quickly emailed me with a request to review it.For those of us in the recruiting or career services industry, we keep up on all the resume dos and don’ts. But for typical job seekers — know matter how much information is posted online, how smart they are or what industry they are in — they are probably going to need some level of help improving their resumes.

8 QUICK AND EASY TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR RESUME

1. Fix typos: When you are staring at your resume, hour after hour, often you start to glance over words and can miss a typo or two. Be sure to double and triple check each heading, sentence and word.2. Retitle your resume: As an HR pro, I like seeing someone who has saved his or her resume with context. Instead of simply Jennifer Resume.doc, try something like Jennifer Smith PR Executive.doc.3. Save a PDF version: A PDF version can help eliminate formatting issues that may occur when emailing your resume to someone using a different operating system. And, to me, the PDF just seems a bit more professional.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Landing the interview for that dream job can be an exhilarating ride for anyone seeking a change in their career. The dizzy excitement of that chance of being so close can make anyone desperate to do well. However there are many cases in which those who really want to succeed have not, generally because of mistakes made before the interview has even finished.

It is common knowledge that an interviewee should give precise examples of previous work in relation to questions, maintain regular eye contact with their interviewer and arrive on time. However, there are other potential mistakes that you may not realise, which can be avoided.

“When a candidate comes in for an interview they are being assessed on everything, from posture to their industry knowledge. When we interview a candidate, we have to take into account how our clients will perceive this person. At this stage of the process we are able to advise and help as much as possible, especially in areas they were previously unaware of, to give the candidate every chance of producing a good interview.” - Jenny Pape, Director at Workfish Recruitment

So what are those mistakes and what can you do to avoid them?

1) Preparation:

The most important aspect of the interview is the preparation that the candidate undertakes. Applicants can make their life a lot easier by making sure that they are well prepared before they even leave for the interview. For instance, those who are dedicated in their search for a new job can often have several interviews lined up at any one time. If those who are in this situation get confused or mix up interview dates, it can demonstrate poor organisational skills and can obviously be detrimental to interview success.

Another issue with preparation is interviewees looking like they have not had enough of a good sleep the night before. This can often be the case if they are anxious or worried about the interview – which is natural – after all an interview is a stressful time. However if the person turns up with rings around their eyes or starts to yawn in front of the interviewer, it can be pretty damaging.

2) Not impressing with your dressing:

It is amazing how many applicants really do not consider what they are wearing to an interview. There are those who really do turn up to an interview in just jeans and a t-shirt. This does not look professional to the interviewer and can seem like the interviewee has no real intention of pursuing the job. No matter how ‘cool’ or trendy the organisation is, it is always better to be overdressed than underdressed.It is not just dressing in the right clothes that can make the difference. Having the clothes freshly cleaned and professionally ironed is a huge benefit. Wearing a creased shirt or trousers shows poor organisation and a lack of personal care.

3) Arrival in the lobby:

How a candidate arrives in the lobby, or at the reception of the interviewing company, is just as important as how they introduce themselves to the interviewer. It is often forgotten that the receptionist is often asked what they noticed about the candidates. Turning up while using the mobile phone, chewing gum or wearing sunglasses – will be noticed, even if they are disposed off before the interviewer shows their presence.

Once the candidate has arrived in the lobby of the company – the best option will be to politely introduce themselves to the receptionist. It is best not to look at your phone but to instead sit and read either the notes on the company so they are fresh in your mind or any literature on the organisation that is present in the lobby.

It would be important to note at this time that being late is also frowned upon. However there are times when being late is not your fault. During these moments it is best to ring in advance to apologise, explain the reason succinctly without being negative.

Author: Josh Hansen writes on all manner of topics but can usually be found wittering on about the world of employment and technology, or both.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Anthony Moore has the things that old folks in old movies like ambitious young whippersnappers to have: moxie, pluck, spunk, and the like. He's a new college grad with, appropriately enough, a site for new college grads, and while he is yet to land his yearned-for dream job in "content writing," he is hustling up connections--the kind that, we know, land gigs.How so? From a hard-earned nepotism begotten from attending an elite university? From being born into immense social standing? By creating a ridiculously great "I quit" YouTube hit? No: our Mr. Moore, as a good millennial does, engineers his own nepotism.The secret: the informational interview.Let's allow him to tell us what that means:

An informational interview is a meeting between two people, one who’s a professional working in a certain field or industry and one who’s looking to learn more about that industry and get their foot in the door.

When we talked to Bob Pozen last year, the former financial heavyweight, current Harvard Business School lecturer, and recent author of Extreme Productivity said that when you're on the job hunt (or planning for your career in general), the best way to get to know if you want to work in a field (without the full-on commitment of starting a job) is to simply talk to the people who do it.Learn the parts that rock, the parts that suck, and the parts that are surprising. People love to read "what I wish I would have known when I was 22" blog posts; informational interviews allow you to pull that refracted reflectiveness out of the professionals that you have a job-crush on.Additionally, you can ask these successful folks what skills they wish they had right now: like, say, a fluency in data or programming or visualization. Then we can look for gigs that let us grow those skill sets or not give a damn and and learn in-demand skills on our own time.But the knowledge ain't the only thing. Because if the interview goes well, as Moore says, you'll now know somebody in the industry. Somebody that likes you, which is the way people land jobs.

As Northwestern management professor Lauren Rivera will tell you, hiring is much more like dating than a hiring manager might like to admit.Folks tend to hire people who remind them of themselves, the people who they wouldn't mind being stuck with in an airport with, the people who they "click" with. The thing is, though, when we say we "click" with someone, that's a way of saying that you have same interests, background, and goals.Additionally, when you do the interview you can get to know the personality (or psychographic, if you want to get pedantic) of the folks in organization or industry in question. Why is this important? The informational interview, then, is a way of ferreting out that "click" with a hiring manager. In a lightly Machiavellian sense, you could better learn to tailor your self-presentation to the hiring person's own self-perception.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Some people still have an outdated view of a temp job. They think that a temp job is something you take to make ends meet while you’re looking for a “real” job. That kind of thinking ignores the many benefits that a temp job can offer. If you’re considering a temp job, but can’t quite shake that old-fashioned viewpoint, here are some benefits of a temp job that may change your mind.

1. Take Charge of Your Time

Everyone has different demands put on their time. You may be a student, have family obligations, or just need some personal time before starting a long-term career. A temp job gives you the flexibility to work full- or part-time, without making any long-term commitments to an employer. Since you get to choose which assignments you take, you decide how much of your time is devoted to working, and how much is free for other obligations.

2. Keep Your Skills Sharp

Whether you’re taking time off for personal reasons, or having trouble finding the perfect job, blank periods on a resume look bad. A temp job lets you continue developing job skills and building your resume, all on your terms. When you do decide that the time is right to continue pursuing a long-term career, you won’t have blank spots on your resume holding you back.

3. Expand Your Network

Working a temp job gives you access to a huge number of professional contacts. Everyone from recruiters to employers can potentially help you advance your career. Even your coworkers and fellow temps can prove to be valuable resources. Just one or two temp jobs could provide you with the kind of contact list that other professionals spend decades putting together.Benefits 4,5, and the complete article

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

As a recruiter and mentor, I get dozens of applications for every opening; I have to find a way to thin the piles down to a reasonable size – and select those who deserve a shot.So before you tell everyone you’ve found your dream job and have applied, let me describe the ten steps I use to determine if you may be selected as the 1-in-100 “winner” of this competition…Candidates received: 100

Step 1: Are you Social?

In my business, being alive on social media is everything. You can have a smallish personal network, but it must be of high quality and you must be a consistent, integrity-based practitioner of the social media arts.Candidates remaining: 40

Step 2: Do you Pay Attention to Detail?

For instance, I asked for a cover letter describing why you felt that you would be a great fit for the position. Yet, a surprisingly large number of applicants fail to include a cover letter. In addition, a handful sent cover letters that were clearly form letters that failed to include the information requested.20 candidates remaining

Step 3: How Good is Your Cover Letter?

I know others think different, but to me a cover letter is always important, especially for college students who may not yet have a rich work history. Here is your chance to shine, to show me a bit about who you are as a person:

Typo? Or maybe too long? If so, you may not be good at Step 2 or getting ideas across in a succinct manner; you go into the “probably not” pile

Is your cover letter engaging and provide reasons for me to bring you in? Did you address it “Dear Todd” as opposed to “To whom it may concern”? If yes, into the “for consideration” pile.

Candidates remaining (those who shine): 15

Step 4: Is your Resume Compelling?

Here’s where I really decide on those I’ll be interviewing…Have you committed yourself to internships? Have you been involved in activities outside of class? Volunteer work? Summer jobs? Peer mentoring? I am not looking for anything in particular, but I do want my interns and team members to be well-rounded individuals versus academic automatons.

Candidates remaining: 10See steps 5-10 and the complete articleAbout the Author:Todd Herschberg is a seasoned entrepreneur who has served as founder, marketer, technologist and mentor for a number of start-up tech firms. Mr. Herschberg is one of the world’s 20 most connected individuals on LinkedIn, a frequent speaker on social media topics and ranked the 33rd “Most Influential Person Online” by Fast Company. Todd is also an advisor to YouTern and a firm believer in mentoring. You can reach Todd directly on Twitter.

Monday, November 4, 2013

In today's tough job market, good may not be good enough. Will you be stellar in a job interview? Rate yourself on each these:1. Researching the boss and employer. For example, Google your boss, the organization and if appropriate, its products, services and competitors. But don't reveal too much during the interview. Having taken the time to learn a tremendous amount about the organization or boss can make you seem desperate, even creepy.Your score from 0 to 15: ___2. Planning for the compensation question. In many interviews, the candidate is asked, "What's your salary requirement?" Sure, you can try responding with, "What range have you budgeted for the position?" But often, you'll be forced to give your range.To get an estimate of your fair market value, use websites such as Glassdoor.com, PayScale.com and Salary.com, plus information from your colleagues. Adjust based on how good you'd be at the position and on how badly you want the job.Your score from 0 to 15: ___3. Looking the part. Dress one notch dressier than what you would wear on that job. Not sure what that is? Email or call the office and ask, "I'm coming in for a job interview for a position as X. I'm getting interviewed by Y. Any advice on what to wear?"Your score from 0 to 10: ___4. Having compelling yet honest answers ready for The Four Questions:i. "Could you tell me about yourself?" In just one minute, you need to make clear why you'd be a great person for the job.ii. "What's your greatest weakness? Some employers are now using a variation of that: "What do you suck most at?" The informality makes you more likely to respond honestly.iii. "Could you tell me about a problem you solved?" You need a one-minute story that showcases how your skills, ability or drive would be valuable in your target job.iv. The question you fear most. Of course, it's different for each applicant. Examples: "Why did you leave your previous employer?" "Why have you been unemployed so long?" Or it may be a technical question that would reveal that your skills for the job are marginal. Your score from 0 to 20: ___See your final score, what it means, and all 9 tips

Sara Menke, the founder and chief executive of Premier, a boutique staffing firm in San Francisco, says having a job while looking for a job makes you that much more attractive to a potential employer. “Companies want to hire the best of the best and [those people] are usually employed,” she says. “Plus, quitting your job before having a job is a big risk that you should avoid. Most people do not have endless streams of income, so you should stay in your position until you get that firm offer for new employment.”Teach agrees. He says most potential employers prefer candidates who currently have a job because it gives them more confidence that you’ll be a good hire. “If you don’t currently have a job, it raises a lot of questions and puts you in a defensive position, and you won’t be coming at them from a position of strength,” he says.Furthermore, when you look for a job while you still have a job, there tends to be less pressure on you, he adds. “If you don’t get the new job, you have your current job to fall back on and you can just try again. Having a job gives you confidence because you’re not in a desperate situation. You may need a new job, you may want a new job, but you don’t have to have a new job, unlike someone who is out of work.”Another reason to start looking while you’re still employed: Having a job while searching for new employment gives you leverage when it comes to negotiating terms for the new gig, Teach says. “You’re in a greater position to make demands and get what you want. Without a job, this leverage goes out the window.”While the experts highly advise against quitting or waiting until you’re fired to start your job search—there are risks associated with job hunting while you’re still employed.Perhaps the biggest danger of looking for a new job while you have one is that someone at your company will find out and tell others, Teach says. If your boss finds out, he or she may take it personally and see it as a lack of loyalty to them and the company. “They will assume that you’re unhappy and worst case scenario, may start taking steps to terminate you. Supervisors want employees who are committed to the job, not to a job search.”Michael Kerr, an international business speaker, author and president of Humor at Work, agrees. He says the biggest danger is the optics and the fear of a backlash from your employer, who may view your job search as being “almost treasonous.” Depending on the maturity level of your immediate supervisor, “they may seek ways to punish your efforts, such as freezing you out of discussions and opportunities. And obviously, if the new job you are seeking is with a major competitor, then certainly ethical issues will arise and even legal issues around conflict of interest. Depending on the job and environment, you may even be perceived as a security threat,” he says.Another danger is that if you start to focus too much on getting a new job, you may not be giving your full attention to your current employer, says Teri Hockett, the chief executive of What’s For Work?, a career site for women. “You’ll not only be impacting your company, but your own professional credibility. You may no longer be considered for prime assignments and projects, and this can hurt you in a multitude of ways from your confidence level to your networking capabilities when you need them at an all-time high.”So, to avoid these potential consequences and to ensure a successful job search while you’re still employed, here’s what you should and shouldn’t do:Don’t tell anyone at work. “Do not share your search and impending departure information with the rumor mill,” Hockett says. Depending on your relationship with your boss, you may want to share information about your job search, but letting co-workers know can make it difficult for you to leave on a good note, especially if they are vying for your job.

Teach adds: “There’s an old World War II saying, ‘Loose lips sink ships.’ In your case, loose lips can jeopardize your current and prospective job.” If you tell one person at work that you’re looking for a new job, you might as well tell everyone. The exception to this would be if your boss has told you about upcoming layoffs and has offered to help you in your job search, he says.Make sure your LinkedIn profile is 100% complete. With so many people on LinkedIn, having a complete profile these days won’t raise any suspicions, Teach says. “Perhaps the first place a hiring manager will look when they have a job candidate is at the job candidate’s LinkedIn profile. It’s best to keep it updated all the time so that you don’t have to rush to complete it when you start looking for a new job.” However, don’t indicate that you’re looking for new job opportunities on your profile, in case your current employer monitors your page.Never bad-mouth your current employer.“Even if you are in a bad situation with a tyrannical Vader-like boss, it’s prudent to take the high road, demonstrate some class and ensure that you don’t burn any bridges,” Kerr says. Keep your conversations and your psyche focused on the positive benefits of moving forward, rather than the negative aspect of what you are trying to escape.

Let your prospective employer know that your job search should be kept confidential. Teach suggests that you inform them that you don’t want your current employer to know that you’re looking for a new job and would appreciate it if they told as few people as possible that you are interviewing.Dos and Don'ts 5-13 and the complete Forbes article

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

When you’re applying for a job, you don’t just want to get noticed: You want to stand out as the best applicant the hiring committee has ever seen. You know you’re the perfect person for the job—and you want them to know that, too.But how, exactly, do you do that? We pulled together a roundup of our all-time best job search advice, from getting noticed before you apply to acing the interview, plus tips from our favorite career experts—to bring you 35 ways to put yourself ahead of the pack.

Get Noticed (Before You Even Apply!)

1. “The fastest way to an interview is when someone I know makes a referral or recommendation,” says Raj Aggarwal, founder and CEO of Localytics. So, if you have contacts who can refer you to a job or introduce you to a hiring manager, by all means, spend your time and energy there—it will have the greatest payoff! Marie Burns, @marieburns

Craft a Winning Resume and Cover Letter

7. Use as many facts, figures, and numbers as you can in your resume bullet points. How many people were impacted by your work? By what percentage did you exceed your goals? By quantifying your accomplishments, you really allow the hiring manager to picture the level of work or responsibility you needed to achieve this accomplishment. Amy Michalenko

8. When you’re writing your cover letter, remember that the hiring manager is likely going to be reading a lot of them (and she probably doesn’t really enjoy reading them much more than you like writing them). So, while you want to make the letter professional, you also want to put some of your own personality in it. Crafting an engaging letter with some color will catch people’s eyes and make them think, “Wow, this would be a fun person to work with.” Erin Greenawald, @erinaceously

Make a Killer First Impression

16. The person at the front desk may not be the hiring manager—but that doesn’t mean his or her impression of you doesn’t matter. In fact, some companies specifically ask their front desk attendants to report back on the demeanor of interviewees who come through the door. Katie Douthwaite, @kdouth

17. A Fortune 500 CEO once said that when he had to choose between two candidates with similar qualifications, he gave the position to the candidate with the better handshake. Extreme? Perhaps, but he’s actually not alone in his judgment. Check out these video instructions for the perfect handshake. Olivia Fox Cabone

Ace the Interview

22. Overall, the most impressive candidates are those who genuinely care about the company and job they are interviewing for, have done their research, and are able to sell themselves based on that information. For someone interviewing for my team personally, one particular candidate read all my blogs, followed me on Twitter, and came in fully prepared based on my online advice and killed the interview. Marie Burns, @marieburns

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

I was working a job fair where I met a recent college graduate. I was recruiting for an auto body company and she sheepishly approached our tabled and said, “I guess I don’t have the skills to work for you.”

Whoa. What?

After I let her know that we weren’t only looking for people to knock dents out, I replied, “Now, let’s talk about your approach. Don’t you eeeeeeever do that again.”

As a job recruitment consultant, I want to satisfy two parties—the employer and the job seeker. In order to do that, I need “recruitable” candidates—people who make me want to advocate their employment.

As a college student, there are five areas where you can make yourself recruitable:

The Résumé

In most cases, a résumé is the first contact an employer has with a candidate. That’s why it is so important to make sure certain elements stand out. For you, the college student, those elements include: the GPA, student organizational involvement, work study or off-campus job(s), and references.

Let’s dig in a little more. Let’s say you don’t have a GPA over 2.7. You can make up for that by showing great student organizational involvement and/or great performance on the job, whether it is work study or an off-campus job. Understand that the résumés of students with high GPAs automatically go to the top of the pile. Still, great leadership skills through work outside of the classroom is valued.

In the case of student organizational involvement, you should be able to demonstrate bottom line success. You can show such success through membership increases, fundraising results, volunteer hours, awards, etc. These kinds of quantifiable results, in the workforce, are called productivity. FYI, you don’t need a title to show great leadership skills; but be prepared to prove how you contributed to your group’s success.

Presence

Notice that I described the graduate who approached me at the job fair as “sheepish.” Making a great impression is important. I would have reacted differently had the first words out of her mouth been, “My name is (blank) and I have a degree in (blank). Working at a car repair shop has never crossed my mind but I was wondering if you had anything available in my field.”

It goes without saying that confidence establishes a great presence. Make sure you look clean. Employers always remember students whose clothes are pressed as well as those who smile, speak clearly and loudly, use correct grammar, and show great posture.

Speech

Great speakers are almost always highly recruitable. I encourage you to take public speaking classes at your college or university, because it is a great way to strengthen your interpersonal communication skills. This is especially important for the job fair environment where projection and articulation are sorely needed. As a public speaking coach, I focus heavily on these two specific elements, because it is difficult to make an impression when people can’t hear or understand what you say in a crowded room.

Monday, October 28, 2013

Posted byDoug WhiteAttention creative professionals: The traditional resume is alive and well. A new TCG survey finds employers still favor a Word document or PDF version over infographic, social and video resumes.More and more job seekers are getting creative and playing around with novel resume formats. But before you start filming a string of wacky Vine videos or designing an intricate infographic to highlight your experience, be aware that most employers still expect (and want) a plain old resume. A majority of advertising and marketing executives said they prefer a traditional resume, like a Word document or PDF, from candidates applying for creative roles, according to a recent TCG survey.Even in today's highly digital world, there isn't great demand for infographic, video or social resumes. Here are eight tips for writing a resume that's clear, concise and compelling:

Create customized content. Some people view job hunting strictly as a numbers game. They blast the same cookie-cutter resume to every employer with an open creative position. Bad move. Targeting your pitch to individual employers is a much better strategy. Thoroughly research the company or agency online, follow them on social media and tap members of your network for additional insights. Once you have a sense of the role and organization, play up your professional skills, experience and achievements most relevant to that particular opportunity. While you don't need to start from scratch every time, a little resume tailoring can make a big impact.

Key in on keywords. Who'll see your resume first? Well, it might not even be a human. Employers often use computer programs to scan resumes for keywords. How can you boost your odds of making the initial cut? Use the job ad as your guide, weaving in keywords wherever possible (as long as the terms accurately describe your abilities, of course).

Proofread, proofread, proofread. A designer friend of mine asked me to proofread his resume last year. When he saw I flagged a few typos, he laughed and said, "See, I'm not a word person." OK, dude, but your job does require attention to detail, right? Time-strapped hiring managers are far less likely to interview careless candidates. In fact, 76 percent of executives polled by our firm said it takes only one or two typos on a resume to eliminate an applicant from contention. Guard against goofs by running spell-check, but also slowly proofread your resume both on screen and on paper. Asking a copywriter pal for editing assistance won't hurt either.

Keep it simple. Steer clear of convoluted jargon, flowery prose and distracting graphics, fonts or colors that can make your resume difficult to read. Instead, let your portfolio showcase your creativity. When crafting your resume, use clear section headings and bullet points for easy navigation. In addition, don't muddle your message by cluttering your resume with hobbies and other extraneous personal information that has no connection to your career. It's great that you love mountain biking and going to hipster bars, but referencing those pastimes won't get you a job.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

By Jennifer ParrisIt obviously makes more sense to look for a job while you still have one. After all, you won’t feel the pressure to pick any old job that you’re offered because you have to pay your mortgage, car loan, credit card bills or because the gap between jobs on your resume is growing wider and wider. That said, job hunting while you’re still working can present its own set of prickly problems. Here’s how to safely look for a new job — without risking the one you currently have.Don’t be obvious. The last thing you want to do is alert your current boss that you are job hunting. Even if you already have one foot out the door, don’t be too obvious about your job searching efforts. Schedule your interviews before or after work, or if you have to, take a day off and try to bundle them together. After all, if you show up to work in a three-piece suit (and your normal attire is jeans and a tee shirt), you’re going to attract some very unnecessary attention at the office.Don’t tell your coworkers. You might be tempted to tell your colleagues and work bestie about your job search. But sharing the news, even with a couple of close office friends, could potentially result in your boss finding out about your plans a lot sooner than you’d like. Some companies can even let you go if they find out that you’re seeking employment elsewhere. And at the very least, your boss can make your life miserable while you’re still there, forcing you to quit before you’re ready.Don’t use office equipment. After a brutal meeting with your boss, you might be tempted to storm back to your cubicle and openly — and passive aggressively — troll job boards. Not a good idea. Your company most likely has tracking programs built into your computer or can search your history to see the sites you’ve been on. So save your job searching — and applying — for after work.More tips and the complete Mashable article

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Recently, I came across a post I highly recommend: “7 Words I Never Want to See in Your Blog Posts”.That inspired me to think about the words that – for recruiters and team builders – can create a terrible first impression. Not words like “dependable” and “detail oriented” – those have been blogged about ad nauseam (and I don’t blame people for using words that old-school experts have espoused for decades). I also don’t mean the clichés that rear their ugly heads far too often during an interview or follow-up like “It is what it is…”I’m referring to the words that show me a lack of effort, leadership or confidence – and make me want to disqualify the applicant from consideration whenever I see them.Without further delay, here are the seven words I never want to see on a resume:

1. Approximately

You have to approximate? You don’t know what you did? Or you do know, but creating a good first impression wasn’t a big priority for you when the resume was sent to me. If you don’t know – find out. If you do know – show some confidence, and tell me down to the tenth percentile what you accomplished. That is impressive!

2. Assisted

Unless you work in a dental office or are a point guard, I don’t want to hear about your “assists”. We hire leaders here, so I want to know that you were the onebeing assisted. In a humble way, tell me what you did, how you did it, and how many you lead in the process.

3. Attempted

Never, ever tell me what you wanted to do. Tell me what you did in an emphatic tone, including a quantitative statement, Good examples: “Increased customer satisfaction by 115%” and “Exceeded quota by an average of 31.2% every quarter”Words 4-7 and the complete article

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Do you stay up till all hours of the night, posting your résumé and responding to ads on job boards like Monster or CareerBuilder? Is this the essence of your job hunt? If so, you are far from alone.If you haven't been successful using this tactic, there is a good reason: Companies report that while 42 percent of their applicants come via job boards, only 14 percent of the people they hire come from this source. These numbers, and others in this article, were first revealed in Jobvite's 2013 Social Recruiting Survey of more than 1,600 recruiters and human resources professionals.Across all industries, there is a whopping 94 percent adoption of social recruiting. These days, recruiting and hiring are all about networking, both in-person and online. It is hard to overstate the importance of your online presence as key to a successful job search.As you might expect, 94 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn and 65 percent use Facebook. Lest you focus your energies only on the big two, bear in mind that more than half of recruiters and HR staffing specialists are using Twitter. And Jobvite identifies other "specialized, localized and up-and-coming social networks" that recruiters utilize to source talent: Instagram, Vimeo, GitHub, Stack Overflow, XING, Yammer and PinterestUnderstand what sites are used for what purposes. Companies use different websites differently. For example, Twitter is great for a company showcasing itself. It is easy and free to send out tweets announcing open positions in an effort to gain corporate visibility and draw you to a company's website.Facebook's company pages are used to create a following, to put out much more information about the values, products and services of a company. This way, it builds its own employer brand and reputation. More than half of all companies utilize Facebook as a means of bolstering their own employee referral programs where they reward current employees for bringing to their attention others who are successfully recruited to come on board.Tip: Look at what companies are saying about themselves on Twitter and Facebook. Follow them, and begin to interact with them to gain your own credibility. Build relationships, followers and friends as a means of networking yourself inside a company.Tip: Ignore LinkedIn at your own peril. This website does it all. Recruiters use it to search for candidates, contact them, keep tabs on people and vet them as well as posting jobs. Make certain that your profile is complete and up-to-date, join and become seen in LinkedIn's groups, and look for posted opportunities both in the main "Jobs" tab as well as those different jobs posted within the myriad of LinkedIn's groups accessible only to group members.

Understand what recruiters look for on social networks.More Tips, Tactics, and the complete articleArnie Fertig is the head coach of JOBHUNTERCOACH.COM, where he utilizes his extensive background in HR Staffing and as owner of a recruiting company to help mid-career job-hunters land their next job. Arnie provides one-to-one coaching services to individuals throughout the U.S. in all aspects of the job hunt, including: resume writing, personal branding, utilizing social media, enhancing networking skills, preparing for interviews, and negotiating compensation.